Monday, April 8, 2013

The "Perfect" Testimony

Have you ever heard a marvelous testimony to God’s saving
grace? Normally, the person tells a story that goes something like this: “I
used to be a _______________________ and a _______________________. In fact, I
was so bad off that I used to regularly __________________________. Then, a
friend took me to his church. The preacher explained the gospel. I realized
that I was a lost sinner in God’s eyes, that there was no hope for me outside
of His grace. I understood that Jesus paid the price for my awful sins on the
cross, and that He rose from the dead so that I could have eternal life through
Him. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had hope. I knew only Jesus’
blood could pay for ___________________________ and
___________________________. I bowed my head and cried out to Jesus to save me.
You know what? He did! And, now, I am learning about Him and growing in Him. I
have new purpose in life. I am no longer a _____________________________. Now,
I am a Christian. I am so thankful that God could save even a good-for-nothing
lost sinner like me.”

I’ve heard many such stories in my life. Some of the people
giving those testimonies used to be drunks or prostitutes, or they abused
drugs. Some were gamblers who ruined their families. Some were violent
criminals. All had dramatic changes in their lives because they had trusted
Christ, and all of them exhibited joy.

When I was a young teen and a young Christian, I thought
these people had a better testimony
than I did. Let’s face it; they did have a more dramatic testimony than mine.

I trusted Christ having grown up in a Christian home, having
the advantage of loving parents and a secure family. I heard the gospel
repeatedly from the age of eleven, and I accepted Christ as my personal Savior
when I was twelve. I never entered into substance abuse, prostitution, or a
violent lifestyle. Jesus forgave me before
I got into those things.

I thought, because my testimony was less dramatic, it was less effective.

But it wasn’t.

God saved me, too,
from drink and drugs. He saved me from prostituting my body. He saved me from
being involved in violent crime. The only difference is the baggage. I simply
have less baggage.

Praise the Lord for His grace!

The Apostle Paul said, This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief
(1 Timothy 1:15). Oh yes, Paul was a persecutor of
the church before His conversion, but he did it ignorantly. He really thought
he was doing God a favor. Yet afterwards, he understood clearly that he had
been a sinner, and that Jesus had saved Him.

The Bible says that all have sinned, and come short of the glory
of God (Romans 3:10). All means all.

1 John 3:4 defines sin as the transgression of the law. If we go through the Ten Commandments
(the Law in a nutshell), we might feel self-satisfied because we haven’t killed
anyone or committed adultery. But, who could say they never valued anything more
than God? Who never lied? Who never, ever wanted something that belonged
to another?

Oops!

We have all sinned and come short of God’s standard of perfection, God’s
holiness. We all need a Savior.

If we have accepted Christ’s
atonement in our place and claimed Him as our Savior from sin, then we have forgiveness.
It’s the same wonderful forgiveness for everyone who believes.

We have a testimony!

It’s the testimony of God’s grace
for sinners. It’s the testimony of Jesus’ forgiveness. Even if we were young
(as I was) when we accepted Christ, we were still saved from awful, terrible
sin. Even if we weren’t into ________________________ (you can fill in the
blank), we were still saved from it.

How should this change your
perspective?

You should tell the world that
Jesus saves.

Realize that your sin can be
covered by Jesus’ death on the cross.

Understand that your salvation
testimony, even if you weren’t involved in “dramatic” sin, is just as valid as
anyone else’s testimony.

It helps you see other sinners as yourself—with more of God’s perspective. Sin is sin, and just because
yours might not be as public or sensational, it is still sin in God’s eyes.

It will make you more
compassionate and understanding.

It will help you to see God’s
grace in your own life and rejoice in it in their lives.

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Hi and welcome to In the Way! I explore many subjects, striving always to present them from a biblical viewpoint. Feel free to browse the tabs at the top for general categories. If you don't see what you're looking for, use the search button below. I'm a pastor's wife, mother of two, grandma, teacher, author, and blogger. I live in a quaint little village in the beautiful Basque region of northern Spain.

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Lou Ann is a young-thinking grandma with an infectious laugh. She rejoices in nature and other beautiful things--including people! She's an avid writer and practices several other artistic expressions, like singing when no one's listening, calligraphy, photography, and even "serious art." Lou Ann loves her Lord Jesus Christ, family, and her church.